Research Investment for Global Health Technology (RIGHT) Fund is seeking proposals for the Technical Accelerator Award (TAA) to support exploratory projects promoting innovative ideas with high impact potential for vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and digital health technology addressing emerging and endemic infectious diseases in developing countries.

The purpose of this award is to develop proof-of-concept or additional scientific results that can be used to support a future Product Development Award application. Projects should reflect investment focus and disease priorities of the RIGHT Fund.

The scope of research includes, but is not limited to:

• Diagnostics: Early validation of new or improved technologies for better usage in low resourced settings; identification of pathogen or host biomarkers of disease; AI enabled devices.
• Digital Health: Validation of ICT platforms for patient access or tools for surveillance; platforms for use in low-resource settings.
• Therapeutics: Proof of concept of repurposing existing drugs (new regimens, fixed combinations) in animal model or a pilot trial in human; validation of new drug candidates for safety and efficacy in animal models.
• Vaccines: Validation of new vaccine candidates for safety, immunogenicity & efficacy in animal models; a pilot dose escalation study in human for new vaccine candidate; proof of concept of new vaccine targets, host or pathogen biomarkers of disease, more effective and affordable formulations, adjuvants, and routes of delivery for vaccines; feasibility studies (process qualification & optimization) prior to scale-up for clinical trials.

Prize Information

• Project budget: Up to 500 million KRW
• Project duration: Up to 12 months

Eligibility Criteria

• RIGHT Fund investments will be awarded to existing or new partnerships that includes at least one Korean entity with a capacity of health intervention R&D and the expertise to identify projects that represent substantial additions to the field.
• RIGHT Fund focuses on diseases for which there is a Korean company/academic or government research institution with the capability and the development platform to advance/improve existing products and delivery capabilities.
• Applicants from Korea: It is not mandatory for applicants to have a collaborator outside of Korea at the time of proposal submission. However, there should be a good partnering plan in place for the proposed project and/or for patient access to the results of the project.
• Applicants from other countries: The Fund requires applicants outside of Korea to have at least one Korean-based collaborator.

Exclusions

• Personnel or indirect costs are not supported.
• Requests for capital investments.
• Duplicate expense claims with other funding sources.

For more information, visit RIGHT Fund.